• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2019

Surgical treatment to restore stability in the ankle and hindfoot and prevent further degenerative changes may be necessary in cases in which conservative treatment has failed. Anatomical direct repair using native ligament remnants with or without reinforcement of the inferior retinaculum is the so-called gold standard operative strategy for the treatment of lateral ankle instability. Non-anatomical lateral ligament reconstruction typically involves the use of the adjacent peroneus brevis tendon and applies only those with poor-quality ligaments. On the other hand, anatomic reconstruction and anatomic repair provide better functional outcomes after the surgical treatment of chronic ankle instability patients compared to a non-anatomic reconstruction. Anatomical reconstruction using an autograft or allograft applies to patients with insufficient ligament remnants to fashion direct repair, failed previous lateral ankle repair, high body mass index, or generalized ligamentous laxity. These procedures can provide good-to-excellent short-term outcomes. Arthroscopic ligament repair is becoming increasingly popular because it is minimally invasive. Good-to-excellent clinical outcomes have been reported after short and long-term follow-up, despite the relatively large number of complications, including nerve damage, reported following the procedure. Therefore, further investigation will be needed before widespread adoption is advocated.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2017

Although laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is considered as minimally invasive surgery, an advanced level of laparoscopic skill is still required. LPD comprises various procedures including reconstruction. Therefore, establishment of a safe approach at each step is needed. Prevention of intraoperative bleeding is the most important factor in safe completion of LPD. The establishment of effective retraction methods is also important at each site to prevent vascular injury. I also recommend the "uncinate process first" approach during initial cases of LPD, in which the branches of the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery are dissected first, at points where they enter the uncinate process. This approach is performed at the left side of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) before isolating the pancreatic head from the right aspect of the SMA, which allows safe dissection without bleeding. Safe and reliable reconstruction is also important to prevent postoperative complications. Laparoscopic pancreatojejunostomy requires highly skilled suturing technique. Pancreatojejunostomy through a small abdominal incision, as in hybrid-LPD, facilitates reconstruction. In LPD, the surgical view is limited. Therefore, we must carefully verify the position of the pancreaticobiliary limb. A twisted mesentery may cause severe congestion of the pancreaticobiliary limb following reconstruction, resulting in severe complications. We must secure the appropriate position of the pancreaticobiliary limb before starting reconstruction. We describe the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications and appropriate technique for safe performance of LPD.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.431-441
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• 2020

Purpose: Various studies have indicated that reduced-port robotic gastrectomies are safe and feasible for treating patients with early gastric cancer. However, there have not been any comparative studies conducted that have evaluated patients with clinically advanced gastric cancer. Therefore, we aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes of D2 lymph node dissections during reduced-port robotic distal subtotal gastrectomies (RRDGs) and conventional 5-port laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomies (CLDGs). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 118 patients with clinically advanced gastric cancer who underwent minimally invasive distal subtotal gastrectomies with D2 lymph node dissections between February 2016 and November 2019. To evaluate the patient data, we performed a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) according to age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification score, and clinical T status. The short-term surgical outcomes were also compared between the two groups. Results: The PSM identified 40 pairs of patients who underwent RRDG or CLDG. The RRDG group experienced a significantly longer operation time than the CLDG group (P<0.001), although the RRDG group had significantly less estimated blood loss (P=0.034). The number of retrieved extraperigastric lymph nodes in the RRDG group was significantly higher than that of the CLDG group (P=0.008). The rate of postoperative complications was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.115). Conclusions: D2 lymph node dissections can be safely performed during RRDGs and the perioperative outcomes appear to be comparable to those of conventional laparoscopic surgeries. Further studies are needed to compare long-term survival outcomes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.466-472
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• 2021

Background: Major intraoperative hemorrhage reportedly predicts unfavorable survival outcomes following surgical resection for esophageal carcinoma (EC). However, the factors predicting the amount of blood lost during thoracoscopic esophagectomy have yet to be sufficiently studied. We sought to identify risk factors for excessive blood loss during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for EC. Methods: Using simple and multiple linear regression models, we performed retrospective analyses of the associations between clinicopathological/surgical factors and estimated hemorrhagic volume in 168 consecutive patients who underwent VATS-type esophagectomy for EC. Results: The median blood loss amount was 225 mL (interquartile range, 126-380 mL). Abdominal laparotomy (p<0.001), thoracic duct resection (p=0.014), and division of the azygos arch (p<0.001) were significantly related to high volumes of blood loss. Body mass index and operative duration, as continuous variables, were also correlated positively with blood loss volume in simple linear regression. The multiple linear regression analysis identified prolonged operative duration (p<0.001), open laparotomy approach (p=0.003), azygos arch division (p=0.005), and high body mass index (p=0.014) as independent predictors of higher hemorrhage amounts during VATS esophagectomy. Conclusion: As well as body mass index, operation-related factors such as operative duration, open laparotomy, and division of the azygos arch were independently predictive of estimated blood loss during VATS esophagectomy for EC. Laparoscopic abdominal procedures and azygos arch preservation might be minimally invasive options that would potentially reduce intraoperative hemorrhage, although oncological radicality remains an important consideration.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.451-463
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• 2024

Purpose: Although laparoscopic distal gastrectomy has rapidly replaced open distal gastrectomy, laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) is less frequently performed owing to technical difficulties. Robotic surgery could be an appropriate minimally invasive alternative to LTG because it alleviates the technical challenges posed by laparoscopic procedures. However, few studies have compared the oncological safety of robotic total gastrectomy (RTG) with that of LTG, especially for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Herein, we aimed to assess the oncological outcomes of RTG for AGC and compare them with those of LTG. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 147 and 204 patients who underwent RTG and LTG for AGC, respectively, between 2007 and 2020. Long-term outcomes were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Results: After IPTW, the 2 groups exhibited similar clinicopathological features. The 5-year overall survival was comparable between the 2 groups (88.5% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 79.4%-93.7%] after RTG and 87.3% [95% CI, 80.1%-92.0%]) after LTG; log-rank P=0.544). The hazard ratio (HR) for death after RTG compared with that after LTG was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.40-1.33; P=0.304). The 5-year relapse-free survival was also similar between the 2 groups (75.7% [95% CI, 65.2%-83.4%] after RTG and 76.4% [95% CI, 67.9%-83.0%] after LTG; log-rank P=0.850). The HR for recurrence after RTG compared with that after LTG was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.60-1.46; P=0.753). Conclusions: Our findings revealed that RTG and LTG for AGC had similar long-term outcomes. RTG is an oncologically safe alternative to LTG and has technical advantages.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2023

Background: With recent advances in cardiac surgery through minimal access, mini-thoracotomy has emerged as an excellent alternative for cardiac myxoma resection. This study analyzed the surgical results of this approach, focusing on postoperative cerebral embolism and tumor recurrence. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 64 patients (mean age, 56.0±12.1 years; 40 women) who underwent myxoma resection through mini-thoracotomy from October 2008 to July 2020. We conducted femoral cannulation and antegrade cardioplegic arrest in all patients. Patient characteristics and perioperative data, including brain diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) findings, were collected. Medium-term echocardiographic follow-up was performed. Results: Thirteen patients (20.3%) had a history of preoperative stroke, and 7 (11.7%) had dyspnea with New York Heart Association functional class III or IV. Sixty-one cases (95.3%) had myxomas in the left atrium. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac ischemic times were 69.0±28.6 and 34.1±15.0 minutes, respectively. Sternotomy conversion was not performed in any case, and 50 patients (78.1%) were extubated in the operating room. No early mortality or postoperative clinical stroke occurred. Postoperative DWI was performed in 32 (53%) patients, and 7 (22%) showed silent cerebral embolisms. One patient underwent reoperation for tumor recurrence during the study period; in that patient, a genetic study confirmed the Carney complex. Conclusion: Mini-thoracotomy for cardiac myxoma resection showed acceptable clinical and neurological outcomes. In the medium-term echocardiographic follow-up, reliable resection was proven, with few recurrences. This approach is a promising alternative for cardiac myxoma resection.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.38
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• pp.41.1-41.6
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• 2016

Background: The goal of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the prognosis of minimal invasive horizontal ridge augmentation (MIHRA) technique using small incision and subperiosteal tunneling technique. Methods: This study targeted 25 partially edentulous patients (10 males and 15 females, mean age $48.8{\pm19.7years$) who needed bone graft for installation of the implants due to alveolar bone deficiency. The patients took the radiographic exam, panoramic and periapical view at first visit, and had implant fixture installation surgery. All patients received immediate or delayed implant surgery with bone graft using U-shaped incision and tunneling technique. After an average of 2.8 months, the prosthesis was connected and functioned. The clinical prognosis was recorded by observation of the peri-implant tissue at every visit. A year after restoration, the crestal bone loss around the implant was measured by taking the follow-up radiographs. One patient took 3D-CT before bone graft, after bone graft, and 2 years after restoration to compare and analyze change of alveolar bone width. Results: This study included 25 patients and 39 implants. Thirty eight implants (97.4 %) survived. As for postoperative complications, five patients showed minor infection symptoms, like swelling and tenderness after bone graft. The other one had buccal fenestration, and secondary bone graft was done by the same technique. No complications related with bone graft were found except in these patients. The mean crestal bone loss around the implants was 0.03 mm 1 year after restoration, and this was an adequate clinical prognosis. A patient took 3D-CT after bone graft, and the width of alveolar bone increased 4.32 mm added to 4.6 mm of former alveolar bone width. Two years after bone graft, the width of alveolar bone was 8.13 mm, and this suggested that the resorption rate of bone graft material was 18.29 % during 2 years. Conclusions: The bone graft material retained within a pouch formed using U-shaped incision and tunneling technique resulted with a few complications, and the prognosis of the implants placed above the alveolar bone was adequate.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 2015

Purpose: Laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) is more complicated than laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, especially during a surgeon's initial experience with the technique. In this study, we evaluated the short-term outcomes of and learning curve for LTG during the initial cases of a single surgeon compared with those of open total gastrectomy (OTG). Materials and Methods: Between 2009 and 2013, 134 OTG and 74 LTG procedures were performed by a single surgeon who was experienced with OTG but new to performing LTG. Clinical characteristics, operative parameters, and short-term postoperative outcomes were compared between groups. Results: Advanced gastric cancer and D2 lymph node dissection were more common in the OTG than LTG group. Although the operation time was significantly longer for LTG than for OTG ($175.7{\pm}43.1$ minutes vs. $217.5{\pm}63.4$ minutes), LTG seems to be slightly superior or similar to OTG in terms of postoperative recovery measures. The operation time moving average of 15 cases in the LTG group decreased gradually, and the curve flattened at 54 cases. The postoperative complication rate was similar for the two groups (11.9% vs. 13.5%). No anastomotic or stump leaks occurred. Conclusions: Although LTG is technically difficult and operation time is longer for surgeons experienced in open surgery, it can be performed safely, even during a surgeon's early experience with the technique. Considering the benefits of minimally invasive surgery, LTG is recommended for early gastric cancer.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.248-251
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• 2011

Objective : In the field of spinal surgery, a few laboratory results or clinical cases about robotic spinal surgery have been reported. In vivo trials and development of related surgical instruments for spinal surgery are required before its clinical application. We investigated the use of the da $Vinci^{(R)}$ Surgical System in spinal surgery at the craniovertebral junction in a human cadaver to demonstrate the efficacy and pitfalls of robotic surgery. Methods : Dissection of pharyngeal wall to the exposure of C1 and odontoid process was performed with full robotic procedure. Although assistance of another surgeon was necessary for drilling and removal of odontoid process due to the lack of appropriate end-effectors, successful robotic procedures for dural sutures and exposing spinal cord proved its safety and dexterity. Results : Robot-assisted odontoidectomy was successfully performed in a human cadaver using the da $Vinci^{(R)}$ Surgical System with few robotic arm collisions and minimal soft tissue damages. Da $Vinci^{(R)}$ Surgical System manifested more dexterous movement than human hands in the deep and narrow oral cavity. Furthermore, sutures with robotic procedure in the oral cavity demonstrated the advantage over conventional procedure. Conclusion : Presenting cadaveric study proved the probability of robot-assisted transoral approach. However, the development of robotic instruments specific to spinal surgery must first precede its clinical application.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.77-86
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• 2015

Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy (LPG) is theoretically a superior choice of minimally-invasive surgery and function-preserving surgery for the treatment of proximal early gastric cancer (EGC) over procedures such as laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG), open total gastrectomy (OTG) and open proximal gastrectomy (OPG). However, LPG and OPG are not popular surgical options due to three main concerns: the first, oncological safety; the second, functional benefits; and the third, anastomosis-related late complications (reflux symptoms and anastomotic stricture). Numerous recent studies have concluded that OPG and LPG present similar oncological safety profiles and improved functional benefits when compared with OTG and LTG. While OPG with modified esophagogastrostomy does not provide satisfactory results, OPG with modified esophagojejunostomy showed similar rates of anastomosis-related late complications when compared to OTG. At this stage, no standard reconstruction method post-LPG exists in the clinical setting. We recently showed that LPG with double tract reconstruction (DTR) is a superior choice over LTG for proximal EGC in terms of maintaining body weight and preventing anemia. However, as there is no definitive evidence in favor of LPG with DTR, a randomized clinical trial comparing LPG with DTR to LTG was recommended. This trial, the Korean Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study-05 (NCT01433861), is expected to assist surgeons in choice of surgical approach and strategy for patients with proximal EGC.